Lighter for gas burners



June 1943- E. H. MUELLER 4 LIGHTER FOR GAS BURNERS F1led Aug 9, 1945 FIE-.1.

' INVEQNTOR Er V/fl H. Mueller ATTORN EY Patented June 29, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIGHTER FOR GAS nuances Ervin H. Mueller, Grosse Pointe, Mich.

v Application August 9, 1945, Serial No. 609,767

This invention relates to lighters for gas burners such as are used in a gas range or other gas burning appliances. It has to do particularly 3 Claims. (Cl. 158-115) with a lighter of an automatic nature which employs a constantly burning pilot flame with a flash tube arranged for causing the ignition of each relatively remotely positioned burner.

Lighters of this type are generally known to those in the industry, and in a gas range, for example, the pilot flame is usually more or less centrally located with the several burners spaced around the same. A flash tube extends between the pilot flam and each burner so that when gas is supplied to a burner, some of the gas flows through the flash tube, is ignited by the pilot flame, and the resultant back flash ignites the burner.

The present inventionis, directed particularly to what is commonly termed the pilot house; that is the structure located at'the pilot flame. The invention aims to provide'an improved protector or shield for the pilot flame. The shield is in the form of a wall, which may be circular, and which surrounds the pilot flame and protects it from drafts and also protects it from the blast of the flash when a burner is ignited, so that the flame is not likely to be extinguished. In this connection the shield comprises a simplified structure which can be manufactured with facility and assembled with facility and which serves also as a holding or locking agency for the so-called pilot house which supports the ends of the' flash tubes.

Structures showing the invention are disclosed in the accompanying drawing: I

Fig. 1 is a plan view representing four burners of a gas range and illustrating the lighter structure. r

' 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of one end of one of the flash tubes.

E; Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating a modifled arrangement of a pilot flame shield.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5 showing another modified arrangement.

5 I Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar to Figs. 5 and 6 showing a still further modified form.

In Fig. 1 a portion of a gas range is illustrated Y and while this is subject to large variation, the

provided with openings for each of the burners indicated atl. A gas supply pipe or manifold is illustrated at 3 and the same may advantageously be disposed behind a panel 4 and the several bumers are individually controlled by valves 5, the operating handles of which project through the panel 4. Y

A small pipe or conduit l0- connects lnto the supply pipe 3 and it extends to a relatively centralized position where its free end is turned upwardly and threaded at II. A suitable Jet piece I 2 may be fitted into the open end of the tube and with this construction there is a constant flow of gas and a relatively permanent pilot flame ll burns at the end of the tube W; the gas therefor issuing through the orifice in the jet piece 1'2. As illustrated in Fig. 1, there is a flash tube l5 extending from a position in proximity to the flame l3 to each of the gas burners. This particular construction may be substantially as illustrated in my Patent No. 2,295,001, of September There is a so-calied pilot house or supporting structure for carrying the inner ends of the flash tubes, and as shown in Fig. 3, this is in the form of a cup 20, the metal of which is fashioned to provide a bead II. The head is cut away or removed at least in one location as shown at 22, and each flash tube has adjacent its inner end a sort of figure 8 opening 23 as shown in Fig. 4. This opening has enlarged end portions at a restricted central portion as illustrated. A flash tube is applied to the supporting cup by passing the restricted portion of the opening into the notch 22 and then shifting the tube along the bead 2| so that the metal portions defining the restricted part of the notch engage under the bead. Thus, the flash tubes are individually adjustable circumferentially about the pilot flame which is at the center of the supporting cup but each is held securely against displacement or removal from the cup. This structure corresponds to that in my above mentioned patent.

The relative position of the open end of a flash tube and the pilot flame is as substantially illustrated in Fig. 3 and when gas is supplied to any one of the burners by the opening of its valve 5, some of the gas passes through the flash tube to the pilot flame where it is ignited, and there is a o resultant flash back through the tube which ignites the gas issuing from the burner. There may be aconsiderable wave of gasor blast inthe flash tube incident to the explosion, and this affects the flame ll because it necessarily is in structure shown in Fig. 1, has a tube plate I, proximity to the inner open end or the flash time.

Accordingly, a shield is provided for the pilot flame. While the idea of shielding a flame is elementary and no doubt has been practiced since the memory or man runnetn not, the present invention. provides a new and ingenious structure.

.The pilot house or supporting cup 20 has a hub 30 which is threaded onto the end of the gas tube lb. The shield preferably comprises astamping and isof sheet metal having a circumscribing upstanding wall 3! which surrounds the gas tube. The bottom of the shield is cut away save for inwardly extending fingers or arms 32 and 33. This leaves resultant openings 34 and 35 and prefer-.

ably the lower edge of the wall 3] is elevated from the 'bottom of the cup as illustrated at 36 so that atmospheric air may enter the lower portion of 4 shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The shield lies between the pilot flame and the open end of the tube and may project upwardly a distance well above the any other outside drafts or air currents.

I claim:

1. In a lighter for gas burners, a gas supply tube having an upwardly extending .end for furnishinggas to support a pilot flame, a supporting member-secured to said end of the tube for the shield and pass upwardly to aid in the support of the flame l3. Thus, there is a circumferential air entrance opening interrupted only by the two arms 32 and 33. The arms 32 and 33 are preferablyoflset relative to each other substantially corresponding to the pitch of the thread i l on the tube It, and the distance between the arms is such as to provide an interrupted opening so that the arms may engage the thread and the shield screwed onto the tube It. In Fig. 3, the'amn 32 is positioned so that it isnormally parallel with the bottom of the cup while the arm 33 extends angularly in the direction which may be considered upwardly.

When the shield is screwed tightly into position 7 it abuts the cup and thus the two parts coopa fast and efiicient assembly of the parts since the inclinedarms help guide the shield into position j relative to the end of the tube. Indeed the shield may be more or less pushed into position with the end of the arms riding over the threads and then the shield given a final twisting action to tighten the same down against the bottom of ,the pilot house. In Fig. 6 the arm 32b is formed at right angles to the axis while the arm 32b inclines downwardly relative to theshield. The shields shown in Figs. 5 and 6 are, except for the position of the arms, the same. as the shieldshown in Fig. 3 and the same reference characters have been applied to like parts.

It may be desirable, in order to more carefully protect the flame to ensmall the upper end of the shield thus to make a smaller opening through which-the pilot flame extends. Such a structure is shown in Fig. '7 where the wall 4| of the shield is of frusto-conical form; 'In this form of the invention the arms 42 and 43 may be the same as those previously described and the lower edge carrying the inner ends of flash tubes which extend to burners to be ignited, and a shield for the pilot-flame having a wall extending around the end of the tube, said shield having arms extending inwardly from the bottom edge of the wall and secured to the tube, said arms being spaced below the lower edge of the wall and at least one of the arms lying against the supporting member so that the bottom edge of the wall is spaced above thesupporting member to provide 'the tube being threaded, a supporting member having an internally threaded aperture screw threaded directly'onto the said end of the tube for carryin the inner ends of flash tubes which extend to burners to be ignited, a shield for the shield.

of the wall of the shield, as illustrated at 46, is

for the attaching structure and for the entrance of air under the lower edge 46. When the parts are assembled for operation the pilot flame, the shield and the end of a tube may be relatively positioned as substantially I pilot flame having a wall extending around the end of the tubejand lying at least partially between the ends of the flash tubes and the pilot flame, and a pair of substantially oppositely disposed arms extending inwardly from and below the bottom edge of the wall, the free ends of the arms engagin and'being screw threaded onto the tube and serving to lock the support and the shieldin position. v

3. In a lighter for gas burners, a gas supply tube having an upwardly extending end forfurnishing gas to support a pilot flame, said end of the tube being threaded, a supporting member screw threaded onto the said end of the tube for carrying the inner ends of flash tubes which extend to burners to be ignited, a shield for the pilot flame having a wall extendin around the end of the tube and lying at least partially between the ends of the flash tubes and the pilot flame, said shield having a plurality oispaced arms extending inwardly from the bottom edge of the shield-and the .free ends of the arms being screw threaded onto the tube with at least one of the arms'abutted against the supporting member to lock the parts in assembly, said arms being 'so disposed that the lower edge of the wall of the shield'is spaced above the support to provide passageways for the entrance of air into the f ERVIN H. MUELLER. REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the file of this patent:

STATES PATENTS Number. Name Date 1,747,015 Leins Feb. 11, 1930 2,091,530 Slavinet al. 'Aug. 31, 1937 2,112,000 stuckenholtet al. Mar. 22, 1938 Matthews et al. 'Dec. 2, 1941 

